patriarchs and prophets-第58节

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permitted　them　to　become　bondmen；　and　they　confidently　assured　their
brethren　that　He　would　soon　break　the　yoke　of　the　oppressor。

The　Hebrews　had　expected　to　obtain　their　freedom　without　any　special　trial
of　their　faith　or　any　real　suffering　or　hardship。　But　they　were　not　yet
prepared　for　deliverance。　They　had　little　faith　in　God；　and　were　unwilling
patiently　to　endure　their　afflictions　until　He　should　see　fit　to　work　for
them。　Many　were　content　to　remain　in　bondage　rather　than　meet　the
difficulties　attending　removal　to　a　strange　land；　and　the　habits　of　some　had
become　so　much　like　those　of　the　Egyptians　that　they　preferred　to　dwell　in
Egypt。　Therefore　the　Lord　did　not　deliver　them　by　the　first　manifestation　of
His　power　before　Pharaoh。　He　overruled　events　more　fully　to　develop　the
tyrannical　spirit　of　the　Egyptian　king　and　also　to　reveal　Himself　to　His
people。　Beholding　His　justice；　His　power；　and　His　love；　they　would　choose　to
leave　Egypt　and　give　themselves　to　His　service。　The　task　of　Moses　would　have
been　much　less　difficult　had　not　many　of　the　Israelites　become　so　corrupted
that　they　were　unwilling　to　leave　Egypt。

The　Lord　directed　Moses　to　go　again　to　the　people　and　repeat　the　promise　of
deliverance；　with　a　fresh　assurance　of　divine　favor。　He　went　as　he　was
commanded；　but　they　would　not　listen。　Says　the　Scripture；　〃They　hearkened
not　。　。　。　for　anguish　of　spirit；　and　for　cruel　bondage。〃　Again　the　divine
message　came　to　Moses；

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〃Go　in；　speak　unto　Pharaoh　king　of　Egypt；　that　he　let　the　children　of　Israel
go　out　of　his　land。〃　In　discouragement　he　replied；　〃Behold；　the　children　of
Israel　have　not　hearkened　unto　me；　how　then　shall　Pharaoh　hear　me？〃　He　was
told　to　take　Aaron　with　him　and　go　before　Pharaoh；　and　again　demand　〃that　he
send　the　children　of　Israel　out　of　his　land。〃

He　was　informed　that　the　monarch　would　not　yield　until　God　should　visit
judgments　upon　Egypt　and　bring　out　Israel　by　the　signal　manifestation　of　His
power。　Before　the　infliction　of　each　plague；　Moses　was　to　describe　its
nature　and　effects；　that　the　king　might　save　himself　from　it　if　he　chose。
Every　punishment　rejected　would　be　followed　by　one　more　severe；　until　his
proud　heart　would　be　humbled；　and　he　would　acknowledge　the　Maker　of　heaven
and　earth　as　the　true　and　living　God。　The　Lord　would　give　the　Egyptians　an
opportunity　to　see　how　vain　was　the　wisdom　of　their　mighty　men；　how　feeble
the　power　of　their　gods；　when　opposed　to　the　commands　of　Jehovah。　He　would
punish　the　people　of　Egypt　for　their　idolatry　and　silence　their　boasting　of
the　blessings　received　from　their　senseless　deities。　God　would　glorify　His
own　name；　that　other　nations　might　hear　of　His　power　and　tremble　at　His
mighty　acts；　and　that　His　people　might　be　led　to　turn　from　their　idolatry
and　render　Him　pure　worship。

Again　Moses　and　Aaron　entered　the　lordly　halls　of　the　king　of　Egypt。　There；
surrounded　by　lofty　columns　and　glittering　adornments；　by　the　rich　paintings
and　sculptured　images　of　heathen　gods；　before　the　monarch　of　the　most
powerful　kingdom　then　in　existence；　stood　the　two　representatives　of　the
enslaved　race；　to　repeat　the　command　from　God　for　Israel's　release。　The　king
demanded　a　miracle；　in　evidence　of　their　divine　commission。　Moses　and　Aaron
had　been　directed　how　to　act　in　case　such　a　demand　should　be　made；　and　Aaron
now　took　the　rod　and　cast　it　down　before　Pharaoh。　It　became　a　serpent。　The
monarch　sent　for　his　〃wise　men　and　the　sorcerers；〃　who　〃cast　down　every　man
his　rod　and　they　became　serpents：　but　Aaron's　rod　swallowed　up　their　rods。〃
Then　the　king；　more　determined　than　before；　declared　his　magicians　equal　in
power　with　Moses　and　Aaron；　he　denounced　the　servants　of　the　Lord　as
impostors；　and　felt　himself　secure　in　resisting　their　demands。　Yet　while　he
despised　their　message；　he　was　restrained　by　divine　power　from　doing　them
harm。

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It　was　the　hand　of　God；　and　no　human　influence　or　power　possessed　by　Moses
and　Aaron；　that　wrought　the　miracles　which　they　showed　before　Pharaoh。　Those
signs　and　wonders　were　designed　to　convince　Pharaoh　that　the　great　〃I　AM〃
had　sent　Moses；　and　that　it　was　the　duty　of　the　king　to　let　Israel　go；　that
they　might　serve　the　living　God。　The　magicians　also　showed　signs　and
wonders；　for　they　wrought　not　by　their　own　skill　alone；　but　by　the　power　of
their　god；　Satan；　who　assisted　them　in　counterfeiting　the　work　of　Jehovah。

The　magicians　did　not　really　cause　their　rods　to　become　serpents；　but　by
magic；　aided　by　the　great　deceiver；　they　were　able　to　produce　this
appearance。　It　was　beyond　the　power　of　Satan　to　change　the　rods　to　living
serpents。　The　prince　of　evil；　though　possessing　all　the　wisdom　and　might　of
an　angel　fallen；　has　not　power　to　create；　or　to　give　life；　this　is　the
prerogative　of　God　alone。　But　all　that　was　in　Satan's　power　to　do；　he　did；
he　produced　a　counterfeit。　To　human　sight　the　rods　were　changed　to　serpents。
Such　they　were　believed　to　be　by　Pharaoh　and　his　court。　There　was　nothing　in
their　appearance　to　distinguish　them　from　the　serpent　produced　by　Moses。
Though　the　Lord　caused　the　real　serpent　to　swallow　up　the　spurious　ones；　yet
even　this　was　regarded　by　Pharaoh；　not　as　a　work　of　God's　power；　but　as　the
result　of　a　kind　of　magic　superior　to　that　of　his　servants。

Pharaoh　desired　to　justify　his　stubbornness　in　resisting　the　divine　command；
and　hence　he　was　seeking　some　pretext　for　disregarding　the　miracles　that　God
had　wrought　through　Moses。　Satan　gave　him　just　what　he　wanted。　By　the　work
that　he　wrought　through　the　magicians　he　made　it　appear　to　the　Egyptians
that　Moses　and　Aaron　were　only　magicians　and　sorcerers；　and　that　the　message
they　brought　could　not　claim　respect　as　coming　from　a　superior　being。　Thus
Satan's　counterfeit　accomplished　its　purpose　of　emboldening　the　Egyptians　in
their　rebellion　and　causing　Pharaoh　to　harden　his　heart　against　conviction。
Satan　hoped　also　to　shake　the　faith　of　Moses　and　Aaron　in　the　divine　origin
of　their　mission；　that　his　instruments　might　prevail。　He　was　unwilling　that
the　children　of　Israel　should　be　released　from　bondage　to　serve　the　living
God。

But　the　prince　of　evil　had　a　still　deeper　object　in　manifesting　his　wonders
through　the　magicians。　He　well　knew　that　Moses；　in　breaking　the　yoke　of
bondage　from　off　the　children　of　Israel；　pre…figured　Christ；　who　was　to
break　the　reign　of　sin　over　the

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human　family。　He　knew　that　when　Christ　should　appear；　mighty　miracles　would
be　wrought　as　an　evidence　to　the　world　that　God　had　sent　Him。　Satan　trembled
for　his　power。　By　counterfeiting　the　work　of　God　through　Moses；　he　hoped　not
only　to　prevent　the　deliverance　of　Israel；　but　to　exert　an　influence　through
future　ages　to　destroy　faith　in　the　miracles　of　Christ。　Satan　is　constantly
seeking　to　counterfeit　the　work　of　Christ　and　to　establish　his　own　power　and
claims。　He　leads　men　to　account　for　the　miracles　of　Christ　by　making　them
appear　to　be　the　result　of　human　skill　and　power。　In　many　minds　he　thus
destroys　faith　in　Christ　as　the　Son　of　God；　and　leads　them　to　reject　the
gracious　offers　of　mercy　through　the　plan　of　redemption。

Moses　and　Aaron　were　directed　to　visit　the　riverside　next　morning；　where　the
king　was　accustomed　to　repair。　The　overflowing　of　the　Nile　being　the　source
of　food　and　wealth　for　all　Egypt；　the　river　was　worshiped　as　a　god；　and　the
monarch　came　thither　daily　to　pay　his　devotions。　Here　the　two　brothers　again
repeated　the　message　to　him；　and　then　they　stretched　out　the　rod　and　smote
upon　the　water。　The　sacred　stream　ran　blood；　the　fish　died；　and　the　river
became　offensive　to　the　smell。　The　water　in　the　houses；　the　supply　preserved
in　cisterns；　was　likewise　changed　to　blood。　But　〃the　magicians　of　Egypt　did
so　with　their　enchantments；〃　and　〃Pharaoh　turned　and　went　into　his　house；
neither　did　he　set　his　heart　to　this　also。〃　For　seven　days　the　plague
continued；　but　without　effect。

Again　the　rod　was　stretched　out　over　the　waters；　and　frogs　came　up　from　the
river　and　spread　over　the　land。　They　overran　the　houses；　took　possession　of
the　bed　chambers；　and　even　the　ovens　and　kneading　troughs。　The　frog　was
regarded　as　sacred　by　the　Egyptians；　and　they　would　not　destroy　it；　but　the
slimy　pests　had　now　become　intolerable。　They　swarmed　even　in　the　palace　of
the　Pharaohs；　and　the　king　was　impatient　to　have　them　removed。　The　magicians
had　appeared　to　produce　frogs；　but　they　could　not　remove　them。　Upon　seeing
this；　Pharaoh　was　somewhat　humbled。　He　sent　for　Moses　and　Aaron；　and　said；
〃Entreat　the　Lord；　that　He　may　take　away　the　frogs　from　me；　and　from　my
people；　and　I　will　let　the　people　go；　that　they　may　do　sacrifice　unto　the
Lord。〃　After　reminding　the　king　of　his　former　boasting；　they　requested　him
to　appoint　a　time　when　they　should　pray　for　the　removal　of　the　plague。　He
set　the　next　day；　secretly　hoping　that　in　the　interval　the　frogs　might
disappear　of　themselves；　and

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thus　save　him　from　the　bitter　humiliation　of　submitting　to　the　God　of
Israel。　The　plague；　however；　continued　till　the　time　specified；　w